United States Department of Agriculture

Marketing and Regulatory Programs 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration 

Directive MRP 4610.1 9/28/01 

 

TOURS OF DUTY

1. PURPOSE 

This Directive establishes Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) policy for 

establishing work schedules and assigning tours of duty to employees. 

 

2. REPLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS 

This Directive replaces the following Agency-specific directives and instructions: 

a. AMS Directive 306.1, Tours of Duty, dated 10/1/93. 

b. AMS Handbook 300, AMS-flex User=s Guide, dated 10/93. 

1. APHIS Human Resources Desk Guide (HRDG), (formerly Supervisor=s Desk Guide) 

Subchapter 4610, Tours of Duty, dated 8/92. 

d. APHIS Directive 4610.1, Tours of Duty and Hours of Work, dated 12/15/92.

e. GIPSA, FGIS Directive 306.1, Tours of Duty and Hours of Work, dated 

12/15/92. 

f. GIPSA, P&SA Directive 402.1, Tours of Duty and Hours of Work, dated 

9/22/92. 

3. AUTHORITIES 

This Directive supplements the following laws, rules, and regulations: 

1. Executive Order 11582, dated February 11, 1971, and Section 6103, Title 5, 

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United States Code (U.S.C.).

2. Title 5, U.S.C. Chapter 61. 

3. Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 340. 

4. Title 5, CFR, Part 610. 

 

Distribution: AMS, APHIS, GIPSA Originating Office: MRPHRD-EP

 

4. POLICY 

It is MRP policy to set tours of duty in accordance with Federal regulations in a 

manner which promotes the efficiency of the service and which to the extent 

practicable is fair and equitable to employees. Managers and supervisors are 

ultimately responsible for establishing tours of duty within the parameters 

established within this Directive and the Human Resources Desk Guide (HRDG) 

Subchapter 4610, Tours of Duty. (For definitions of terms used in this Directive, 

refer to the HRDG-4610.) In addition: 

1. Tours of duty available for use in MRP are: standard, nonstandard (including 1st-40, 1st-8 

and mixed tour), and alternative work schedules (compressed [5-4/9 and 4/10] and flexible 

[flexitour, flexitime, and maxiflex (24 hour maxiflex applies to VS field employees only]). 

2. Daily tours for headquarters employees may begin no earlier than 6 a.m. and may end no 

later than 6 p.m. Field units may establish different start/stop times based on local mission 

requirements. 

3. All headquarters employees will be assigned to a maxiflex schedule unless mission 

requirements prevent such a tour. Agency heads will decide tours of duty to which field 

employees will be assigned. 

4. Agency heads also may delegate the level of supervision that will have the authority to set 

tours of duty in field locations. 

5. APHIS and GIPSA customer service bands at headquarters are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. AMS 

headquarters customer service bands are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Field units may adopt the above 

bands or may establish a different band based on mission or agency requirements. 

6. Headquarters flexitour and flexitime schedules have core days and hours of Monday 

through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

7. Headquarters maxiflex core days and hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Although maxiflex flexible days are typically Monday or Friday, other days 

within the workweek may be appropriate as an employee=s flexible day if it is 

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not detrimental to mission accomplishment.

h. Recording attendance on a daily basis is required only when a deviation from 

the established tour of duty occurs causing an extension/alteration to the 

established tour of duty for the day (e.g., earning, using credit 

hours/compensatory time, working overtime, taking annual leave, sick leave, 

leave without pay, core time deviations, gliding). Managers/supervisors still are 

responsible for ensuring time and attendance records are accurate, and may 

choose to require employees to sign in/out on a daily basis. Recording 

attendance may be accomplished using traditional sign in/out sheets, 

electronically, by exception, etc. 

AMS employees will maintain a daily time log. Each manager/supervisor will 

determine the appropriate format to be used in recording daily attendance. 

1. Employees must take an unpaid lunch break of 30 - 60 minutes unless an exception applies 

as outlined in the HRDG Subchapter 4610, Section C. 

j. Maxiflex flexible days for headquarters employees are Monday and Friday all day. 

Maxiflex flexible hours (glide times) are 6 - 9 a.m. and 3 - 6 p.m., Monday 

through Friday. 

Although maxiflex flexible days are typically Monday and Friday, other days 

within the workweek may be appropriate as an employee=s flexible day if it is 

not detrimental to mission accomplishment. 

k. Maxiflex flexible days for field employees are Monday, Friday, and 

Saturday. 

Maxiflex flexible hours (glide times) are 6 - 9 a.m. and 3 - 6 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, and Saturday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Although maxiflex flexible days are typically Monday and Friday, other days 

within the workweek may be appropriate as an employee=s flexible day if it is 

not detrimental to mission accomplishment. 

l. Employees on a maxiflex tour may earn credit hours once they have worked or 

been in a paid leave status for 80 hours of the pay period. Exception: With prior 

supervisory approval, employees may earn credit hours on either Saturday of a 

pay period. On Saturdays, headquarters employees may only earn credit hours 

between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. On Saturdays, field employees may only earn credit hours 

between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. The maximum number of credit hours employees may earn and carry over 

into each pay period is 24. GIPSA and AMS employees must obtain supervisory approval before 

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earning any credit hours. 

m. Credit hours are earned or used in 15-minute increments. 

n. Absences during core and flexible times are granted in 15-minute increments. 

o. Members of the Senior Executive Service (SES) may not earn premium pay, 

including compensatory time off. SES members may earn religious compensatory 

time off. 

p. All Schedule C employees are required to work a standard tour of duty. 

1. Programs wishing to deviate from the established policies may do so with written approval 

from their Administrator. Prior to implementation of any deviations, a copy of the new 

policy must be forwarded to the Director, Human Resources Division (HRD), for review to 

ensure proper application of tours of duty laws, rules, and regulations. 

2. Before changes in existing policy can be implemented for employees in recognized 

bargaining units, agencies must satisfy their bargaining obligations. 

5. OPERATING GUIDELINES 

Additional information on tours of duty may be found in the HRDG Subchapter 4610,Tours of 

Duty. This Directive and HRDG Subchapter 4610 are available on the MRPHRhome page at

www.aphis.usda.gov/mb/mrphr, the Information Technology electronic library at 

www.aphis.usda.gov/library, and the AMS Intranet home page at http://insideams/issuances. 

6. INQUIRIES 

Direct general inquiries on procedural matters to the servicing personnel office. Direct 

requests for policy interpretations on complex issues to the Pay, Leave, and Tours of Duty 

Specialist, Employment Policy Branch, MRPHRD. 

/s/ 

William J. Hudnall 

Deputy Administrator 

MRP Business Services 

 

 

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